THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth have won six of its last seven matches coming into the weekend as it readies for the University of Mary and Minot State University. The Marauders get the first crack at the Bulldogs Saturday, Dec. 30 at 4:00 p.m. The Beavers plays UMD on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m.
SCOUTING REPORT ON U-MARY: The Marauders sit on the bottom tied for last spot in the NSIC South Division at 1-5. U-Mary is coached by Rick Neumann who is in his fifth year. The Marauders have lost four straight heading into Saturday's game.
Gabbie Bohl leads U-Mary with 18.3 points per game and is hitting 54 percent of her shots. Lauren Rotunda is averaging 11.4 points and is leading the team with 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals. Cassie Askvig is the leading rebounder.
SCOUTING REPORT ON MINOT STATE: The Beavers have dropped their last five games and are tied with U-Mary at the bottom of the division. Mark Graupe is in his first season and the fifth head coach in the program's 45-year history. Minot State had their last win in the NSIC opener.
Kristal Flowers leads the team in rebounding. She is pulling down 9.2 boards a game. Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game ranks 17th in the nation and first in the NSIC. Holly Johnson leads the team with 14.0 points.
THE SERIES: UMD trails in the all-time series 7-9 to U-Mary. The Marauders claimed the last victory forcing a split in the season series a year ago. The Bulldogs last win in Bismarck, N.D., came on Jan. 28, 2012 (54-49) and lost their last five attempts there.
Minot State will meet UMD for the 12th time this weekend. The Bulldogs lead 7-4 and have won three of the last four appearances.
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and their opponents stack up in their respective conference standings and in the Women's Coaches Basketball Association (WCBA) and the D2SIDA media polls.
TEAM NSIC WCBA D2SIDA
UMD T-5th NR NR
Mary T-13th NR NR
Minot T-13th NR NR
THE BROADCAST: Both games this weekend will be carried live through a video stream with live stats and is available at:
portal.stretchinternet.com/umd
LAST TIME OUT: It was a downright dominating performance on Dec. 19 after a 76-55 victory over Northern Michigan University. The Bulldogs were up by as much as 36 in the third quarter before going away with the 21-point victory, their third largest win of the year.
Emma Boehm compiled a game-high 14 points to guide the club. Ayo Porte also played well, playing a team-high 23 minutes off the bench. She tallied eight points, four rebounds and a career-high four assists. Three of her dishes went to senior forward Allison Olley, who knocked down 11 points in her brief stint off the bench.
UMD exploded to outpace the Wildcats 23-5 in the second quarter. The quarter was spurred by a defense that allowed two field goals and converted on the fast break. UMD scored all six points on the fast break in that quarter.
The Bulldogs shot 40 percent from the floor and an even hotter 47 percent from three as they led for over 30 minutes. UMD also won in the second chance department outscoring the Wildcats 21-2. NMU hit 39 percent of its shots.
LIGHT 'EM UP: Six of the seven victories this season have come by double figures. The Bulldogs have wins of 25, 38, 10, 15, 18 and 21 points this season. The Bulldogs have a positive point differential in by at least 24 points in each quarter.
UMD's largest margin of victory came in the home opener vs. Lake Superior State when it blasted them in a 38-point rout. The 38-point victory was the largest since Nov. 19, 2013 when Wisconsin-Superior fell 89-43 at Romano.
WEEKLY HONORS: Recognition was given to Sammy Kozlowski this week as she was named the NSIC North Division Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 11. Kozlowski is the first Bulldog to achieve the honor since Taylor Meyer grabbed her third award of the season back in 2015.
For the weekend, Kozlowski averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 steals. She shot 52 percent from the floor (13-of-25) including makes on five of her eight attempts from three point range. The New Berlin, Wis., native led the team in scoring each night, knocking down 17 points vs. SMSU and 16 points versus USF.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE: The Bulldogs have held opponents to under 60 points in seven of their nine games. They have allowed 56.4 points per game, good for third best in the NSIC and 20th in Division II. UMD is 6-1 when holding teams under 60 points.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: The NSIC excels at limiting its turnovers and UMD is no exception to getting it done on the offensive end without giving possessions away. The Bulldogs are ninth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game. UMD is fifth in the country in fewest turnovers with 89. In fact, the Bulldogs are 18th in turnover margin and second in the NSIC behind Augustana University.
GET THAT OUTTA HERE: The Bulldogs are 27th in the nation in blocks shots per game. They are averaging 4.6 blocks which is also fourth in the NSIC. Sarah Grow leads UMD with 18 blocks (2.0 per game) and Katie Stark has nine (1.0 per game). The duo is in the top 15 in the NSIC in total blocks and top 15 in blocks per game.
GO AHEAD AND SHOOT FROM DEEP: Opposing clubs struggle to hit the three-ball against UMD's defense. Teams are shooting 26.9 percent from behind the arc. That figure is 49th in the nation and fourth in the conference.
DROPPING DIMES: There is not a more elite passer in the NSIC right now than Sammy Kozlowski. The New Berlin, Wis., native is the top player in the conference with 5.8 assists per game. Kozlowski ranks 14th in the country. Her 49 assists in the NSIC only trails Jacky Volkert of MSU Moorhead (53).
FOUR NEW FACES IN THE STARTING FIVE: UMD replaced four of its starters as Taylor Meyer, Kenzie Kane, Jenna Orr and Allyson Harris each played their final collegiate games in 2016-17. Sammy Kozlowski is the only starter returning. The Bulldogs have started Katie Stark, Ann Simonet, Emma Boehm in each game this season. Sarah Grow has received seven of the eight starts while Anna Monke tallied the other start.
CONFERENCE COACHES CORNER: On Oct. 25, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference 2017-18 Preseason Coaches' Poll picked UMD to finish in eighth in the conference and fourth in the North Division. The Bulldogs, which finished third in the division and ninth overall a season ago, received 132 points in the poll.
Minnesota State Moorhead, who claimed the preseason favorite in the North Division, topped out in the overall poll with 213 points slightly topping division rival Northern State with 209. Augustana, who was picked to finish first in the south, was picked to finish third overall in the NSIC.
The Dragons' senior forward Drew Sannes was named the North Division Preseason Player of the Year. The Wildcats' senior forward Paige Ballinger was named the South Division Preseason Player of the Year.
NEW DOGS ON THE BLOCK: The Bulldogs bring in six newcomers this season after losing seven letterwinners from last season. UMD hopes to have found its next low post dominator in Sarah Grow (Circle Pines, Minn.). The Bulldogs bring in a pair of guards who had a bunch of success scoring in bunches. Maizie Deihl (New Prague, Minn.) and Ann Simonet (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) each reached the 1,000-point threshold in their careers for their respective high schools. Payton Kahl (Stoughton, Wis.) and Jordyn Thomas (Hermantown, Minn.) are athletic wing players that can play the tweener between guard and forward. UMD also picked up another guard in Chelsea Mason from Mountain Iron, Minn., who dominated the high school landscape in northern Minnesota and was a Ms. Minnesota finalist her senior season.
2016-17 ACCOLADES: Sophomore guard Sammy Kozlowski is the only returnee who gained recognition from the NSIC. Kozlowski was named to the All-NSIC Second Team and All-Defensive team. Taylor Meyer, who graduated as the 16th leading scorer in program history, also was tabbed with second team honors.
THE COACH: Third-year head coach Mandy Pearson, following a 14-14 (11-11 NSIC) second season, will look to continue to stamp her mark on the University of Minnesota Duluth women's basketball program.
The Bulldogs doubled their win total from Pearson's first season at the helm, displaying definite signs of a program headed in the right direction. Pearson will look to continue to take steps forward in the 2017-18 season and vault UMD further up the NSIC standings.
Pearson proved her ability to turn a program around while leading the NCAA Division III Cardinals since the 2007 season. Saint Mary's quickly moved up the ranks in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference under her guidance, securing its first playoff bid since 2005 during the 2011-12 campaign. A year later, the Cardinals posted a 22-5 record, second-best in program history, advanced to the MIAC Tournament semifinals, and earned a victory over UMD's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Winona State University. Pearson was named the MIAC Coach of the Year for the first time in 2012-13, repeating that feat a year later, and also earned the SMU Staff Recognition Award following that season.
Her last two years with the Cardinals, Pearson's squads posted a 42-13 combined record including a 24-4 mark--best in program history--in 2013-14. The team found itself ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today Sports NCAA III Top 25 Coaches' Poll and d3hoops.com polls for the first time ever, as high as no. 12. In her nine seasons as the SMU bench boss, Pearson produced one d3hoops.com All-American selection in Courtney Euerle (an honorable mention in 2013-14), who also earned MIAC Player of the Year honors and was the only player from the entire conference to earn All-America recognition that season. Pearson also produced two All-NCAA III West Region Team members, nine All-MIAC award selections, seven all-conference honorable mentions, four All-MIAC Defensive Team selections, and four MIAC All-First Year Team picks.
Before joining Saint Mary's, Pearson served as an assistant with NCAA III Hamline University during the 2005-07 seasons after wrapping up a four-year playing career at another MIAC school, Concordia College of Moorhead. Pearson earned three All-MIAC selections during her playing career and was named a First Team All-American during her senior season in 2004-05. She was the first Cobber to achieve 1,000 points and 500 assists in her career. She also played softball for Concordia-Moorhead, earning All-MIAC citation on the diamond as well in her senior campaign. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Concordia with minors in sociology, health and coaching. While coaching at Saint Mary's, she earned her Master of Arts degree in human development in 2013.
Over the last five years, Pearson has spoken at several camps and clinics, including the Minnesota State High School League Association Clinic in 2011. She also polished her own coaching acumen at the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic, the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Northern State University, and Final Four Coaching Clinics.
ON TAP: The Bulldogs open at home to start the new year as they take on the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University to put the wrap on the season series next weekend starting on Friday, Jan. 5.
